Promo Products Star At GOP Convention

Buttons Are The Mainstay Promo

Aug 30, 2012 – by Counselor

The first two days of the Republic National Convention in Tampa featured rousing rallies, partisan speeches, plenty of pageantry and, of course, a wide variety of traditional and new-age election-themed promotional products. Buttons have, no doubt, been the mainstay promo product in view, with many highlighting an assortment of Mitt Romney and Tea Party slogans. Some of the most popular button slogans are: "Show 44 the door," "Mitt happens" and even "No Mas Obama." Two roadside button sellers say vintage-style buttons have been purchased the most by convention-goers.

Various delegates have been welcomed with giveaway bags full of logoed items. Rosemary Cummings, a delegate from Massachusetts, proudly displayed her "Mass GOP" T-shirt. She also received mints, sunscreen, a rain jacket and hand cream. A Tennessee delegate looking for promotional products was happy to receive an imprinted backpack, as well as a stuffed elephant, upon arrival. A Texas delegate standing next to her said she also received a stuffed elephant.

Several themed stores were also open for the convention. Richard Moore, owner of Encore Select, rented out a retail space in downtown Tampa. Moore focuses his business on sporting apparel, including screen-printing. He transformed a retail space to include pins, T-shirts and buttons for both political parties. The owner of a store in the Channel Side district had a plethora of RNC products. He said his daughter is a member of the House of Representatives. The majority of his products changed colors when exposed to sunlight.

Below are a few ad specialty-inspired images from Tampa, but for a more complete look at many of the promotional items being showcased at the GOP Convention, click here to view a photo gallery provided by Managing Editor Joan Chaykin and Staff Writer Jennifer Vishnevsky. Keep tabs on our continuing coverage from the convention in Florida on www.asicentral.com, and be sure to follow along again next week when Chaykin and Managing Editor Joe Haley report from the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.